Pearl Jam: Under Review

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All Rise...

Judge Steve Power could have tuned in, tuned in. But he tuned out.

The Charge

"As they move through the 21st century, Pearl Jam are comfortably at the
top of their game. Proving that you don't have to burn out, and you don't have
to fade away."—Narrator

The Case

My musical background was derived from slavish devotion to the New Wave of
British Heavy Metal in my younger years that dovetailed into thrash and speed
metal as a teen. As such, I wasn't completely enamoured with "Ten" or
"Vs" back in the early '90s. Pearl Jam was one of those bands I'd
heard (who could have avoided them?), and I usually just kind of nodded along
when "Alive" or "Dissident" would pop up on a playlist at
parties. It was "Vitalogy" in 1994 that first really caught my
attention, with "No Code" my appreciation for the band was cemented,
and then "Yield" turned me into a total convert. I promptly devoured
the back catalog, read all I could find, and it didn't take too long before
Pearl Jam dominated by "favourite band" list as well as my CD player.
So in the spirit of full disclosure; I must tell you that this review comes from
a totally biased devotee to all things Pearl Jam.

Pearl Jam: Under Review touts itself as "An independent critical
analysis," of the band, but in truth it's more of a historical
retrospective. There's very little analysis, and even less critique, however
there is a wealth of information present. The doc takes us through the early
formative years of the band, from humble beginnings as a Seattle punk rock act
through the death of Andrew Wood and dissolving of "Mother Love Bone,"
to the finding of vocalist Ed Vedder and the media sensation that followed when
the debut album, "Ten" clicked with the mainstream and started a
blaze. These unofficial documentaries often litter the shelves of music DVD
sections in big box stores and music chains, and more often than not the budget
prices are a testament to the quality of the features. Stock music blares over
bland narration while sound bites and short snippets of interview footage are
cobbled together, often limited by what "Fair use" laws will allow. In
spite of being completely unofficial and featuring no input from the band
itself, their label, or their management, Pearl Jam: Under Review is
completely atypical of what you would expect.

Almost immediately, I was stunned by the wealth of archival footage, video
clips, music clips, and "official" material presented throughout the
show. The filmmakers deliver with not only some solid live footage from Pearl
Jam itself, but also early clips of 'Jam precursors, Green River and Mother Love
Bone. It adds an air of authenticity to the proceedings that, in spite of the
unofficial status and the typically low-rent pedigree of these productions,
actually makes this particular documentary feel relevant and worth your
attention. The talking heads involved in the interviews are also personalities
relevant to the subject, including music journalists, biographers, and a former
editor from Rolling Stone magazine. All of them are knowledgeable and likeable
cats; save for Seattle biographer Charles Cross, who seems to be talking out of
his arse on more than one occasion, and AllMusic.com reviewer Ned Raggett, who
comes across like a pretentious and condescending wiener. These are the kinds of
music journalists that make me hate music journalists. These are the kind of
guys who call "OK Computer" the greatest album of all time. But I
digress. Ex Rolling Stone/Blender Editor Joe Levy more than makes up for them
with his awesome, matter-of-fact delivery.

The only real disappointment comes from the glossing over of the
post-"Yield" era of the early 2000s. After touching on the first five
studio albums in some detail, "Binaural" gets little mention, and
"Riot Act" gets even less. These albums were a big part of an
interesting and storied era for the band, and to gloss them over after devoting
such time to the rest of the catalog (including 2009's fantastic
"Backspacer") seems like a disservice to these albums, and keeps the
whole affair from being as completely thorough as it could have been. Another
10-15 minutes added to the run time to discuss these releases, pro or con,
certainly wouldn't have hurt.

The presentation is definitely nothing special. The audio is straight up 2.0
stereo and is fine enough for talking heads and raw live footage. It won't
shatter eardrums, and it won't shatter glass. Video quality also varies with the
footage present, and the interview footage is kind of soft, but it's about what
you would expect, and it's no worse than broadcast TV. The only extras are bios
for the interviewees, and a brief audio interview with Ed Vedder and Matt
Cameron recorded in Berlin in 2009. It's a little quiet at times, but it's
solid.

While not quite the all encompassing trip that true fans might be looking
for, Pearl Jam: Under Review is a great look at the band's career to this
point. It may not bring much new material to the table, and it lacks the
insider's perspective, but it's a great little history lesson for those who
aren't quite hardcore "Jammers."